Regency Clothing
The Jane Austen Festival brings ten days of wonderful regency themed events to the city of Bath each year. If you are interested in attending the festival and need some help planning your outfit, we’ve put together this handy guide with hints and tips to help you achieve the perfect regency look.
Women's Costume
Daywear
The regency silhouette is characterised by the iconic empire line dress, which has a fitted bodice and a high waistline, sitting just under the bust. Skirts are long coming down to the ankle, while the skirt front is relatively flat there are pleats in the back to add volume. Sleeves would have been long for daywear and shorter in the evening. While the necklines of Regency dresses can be quite plunging, during the daytime a fichu or chemisette would have worn for modesty.
Outer Layers
As the regency style is all about the empire line, all outer layers either finish at or accentuate the empire line. Spencer jackets are cropped jackets which finish at the empire line, these can be made from wool, cotton, linen or silk. Military styles were also very popular in ladies’ fashion with many spencer jackets taking on influence from the military uniforms. Pelisses are long coats, very much like a spencer jacket with an added skirt at the empire line.
Evening Wear
For eveningwear shorter sleeves were popular, dresses would be made from fine materials such as silk or satin. Muslin was also an incredibly popular material during the period, and a simple white muslin dress can be very adaptable for both day and evening wear. Some dressed would have had a longer skirt at the back, we call this a train. During festival balls we will insist that dresses with long trains or skirts that trail on the floor are pinned up for health and safety reasons while dancing.
Undergarments
Women would normally have worn a loose-fitting chemise worn underneath stays, which would have pushed the bust up to create a shelf look. Both long and short stays were worn during the period, the aim was to provide support and create a high waisted silhouette – no tight lacing required! If you are not quite ready to commit to full regency undergarments yet, a push up 21st Century style brasserie works well to help create the right silhouette. Another petticoat would also have been worn over the stays, sitting underneath the dress. Knee high stockings are also worn, protecting those ankles from the prying eyes of the rakes of Bath!
Men's Costume
A man's wardrobe consisted of the following layers: shirts, breeches, waist coats, tailcoat and a cravat. The army and naval uniforms of the day influenced men’s fashion and is often seen reflected in the details and the tailoring.
Shirts and Cravats
Anyone who has watch Mr Darcy coming out of the lake in the 1995 Pride and Prejudice will be familiar with what a Regency shirt looks like. Shirts had very full sleeves gathered into the shoulder seam, they also had a standing collar around which a cravat would be tied. Cravats are long rectangular pieces of fabric (usually white) tied closely at the neck to keep the collar in place. There are many different methods for tying a cravat, and gentlemen would have had their own preferred methods. Regency dandy Beau Brummel used to spend hours meticulously tying his cravat in the morning, often performing this ritual in front of friends and admirers.
Waistcoat
Over the shirt a waistcoat would have been worn, close fitting they would have been adjusted at the back with ties. The waistcoat has a high collar which frames the cravat. In contrast to the subdued colours often found in the breeches or tailcoats, waistcoats were often brightly coloured/patterned. Why not add a splash of colour to your outfit with a brightly coloured waistcoat or cravat?
Tailcoats
Over the waistcoat a tailcoat would have been worn, this could be either single or double breasted and had long tails. They were cut short to emphasise the gentlemen’s waistline. For travelling a cloak or a great coat would often have been worn.
Breeches or Trousers
During this period trousers start to replace breeches as the fashion for gentlemen. The trousers sit high on the waist; they had a flap at the front which fastens with buttons. Knee length breeches remained popular for evening wear, worn with stockings and pumps.
Hats, Bonnets and other Accessories
Women during the regency period wore bonnets outdoors, they could be made from straw or covered in fabric. Bonnets were trimmed with feathers, flowers or other adornments. Another alternative to wearing a bonnet is a turban or head scarf, this look can be achieved by tying or wrapping a scarf around your head sometimes multiple scarves can be used to create a dramatic look. For gentleman top hats were usually worn, although bicorn and tricorn hats were also a popular trend.
Short gloves would have been worn outdoors, with long elbow length gloves an essential for the ballroom.
A reticule is a small bag draw string style bag; these would have been the regency equivalent of a handbag. If packing light is not your style, you might find a wicker basket a useful accessory, more room for shopping purchases! Other accessories include shawls, parasols, fans or an umbrella. Many of these accessories can be found online by searching sites like Etsy or Ebay, this year you can also visit our festival fayre on Friday 12th September for some pre promenade shopping!
Footwear
Whether you’re promenading round the streets of Bath or dancing a reel at a ball, flat shoes are best. For ladies, ankle boots or pumps would have been worn for daywear, as Bath is a very hilly city, you’ll be glad you left the heels at home! Gentlemen would have worn boots during the day and pumps for eveningwear. Flat shoes are also essential for balls, regency dancing is lively and energetic, and we wouldn’t want any injuries occurring on the dancefloor! Flat ballet style pumps are the best footwear to wear for balls, these are easily available in most shoe shops.
Hairstyles
Ladies would always have worn their hair up, often piled up into a bun at the back of the head. Ringlets framing the face were a very popular look during the period, this look can be achieved by using curling tongs or overnight foam curlers. Hair could be embellished in a variety of ways with feathers, flowers, tiaras and ribbons all being popular. Got short hair? Not a problem! Clip in hairpieces can do a great job of imitating the regency look, there was even a brief fashion during the Regency period for short cropped styles!
Hire or Buy a Regency Costume
Bath Theatrical Costume Hire
Email: regency@baththeatrical.com
Call: +44(0)1373 472786
Immerse yourself in the elegance of the Regency era by hiring one of our exquisite Regency-style costumes for a weekend or the entire festival. Our experienced team will guide you in selecting the perfect outfit for both daytime and evening occasions.
To celebrate this special anniversary, we are delighted to offer the opportunity to purchase your costume at the end of the festival — a unique keepsake to cherish long after the celebrations are over.
Enquiries will be managed from the beginning of April on a first-come, first-served basis, so be sure to contact us at the email above to secure your place on our list.
Join us at our Pop-Up Shop on Great Pulteney Street between the 12th and 15th of September, where you can collect and return your costumes. For those requiring collection or delivery outside these dates, arrangements will be made directly to your accommodation.
On Friday the 12th and Saturday the 13th, ForeHair will host a pop-up hair salon, while a variety of workshops will be running from Wednesday the 10th — full details will be available in the festival programme.
Availability is limited, so don’t wait until the last minute — get in touch now to find out how to reserve your costume.
The Jane Austen Centre Online Gift Shop
The Jane Austen Centre Online Gift shop stock a selection of patterns, jewellery, hair pieces, fans, gloves, and other Regency items for sale.
Go to online gift shop
Jane Austen Festival Fayre
The Jane Austen Festival Fayre normally runs on the first Friday & Saturday of the Jane Austen Festival.
Many historical costume suppliers attend the Promenaders Fayre. It is a great opportunity to pick up those last few Regency accessories needed for the week of events to come. And also a good time to chat and discuss future costume wishes with these talented people.
Find out the latest Jane Austen Festival information on the Festival updates page.